Device for making clip-type electrical connections



- May 10, 1966 R. F. COBAUGH 3,249,993

DEVICE FOR MAKING CLIP-TYPE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS Filed June 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H 22 3M A0 LR an y 1966 I R. F'. COBAUGH 3,249,993

DEVICE FOR MAKING CLIPTYPE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS Filed June 15, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I wgQj United States Patent I 3,249,993 DEVICE FOR MAKING CLIP-TYPE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS Robert Franklin Cobaugh, Hershey, Pan, assignor to AMI Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed June 15, 1965, Ser. No. 464,091 3 Claims. (Cl. 29-203) This invention relates to an improved device for making clip-type electrical connections.

The technique of connecting a wire to a terminal post by means of a terminal clip is described fully in application Serial No. 171,074 and several tools for making such connections are disclosed in that application and in other issued US. patents to which reference will be made below.

For purposes of the instant disclosure, it is sufiicient to say that such electrical connections are made by means of an open-sided clip which is telescopically movable onto the post. A suitable tool is advantageously used having a T-shaped mandrel and a clip pusher for pushing the clip over the mandrel and onto the terminal post. An opening extends into this mandrel intermediate its ends for reception of the wire end. In use, the end of the mandrel is pushed against the end of the post and the clip pusher is actuated to cause the clip to move along a path such that the clip is pushed over the mandrel, past the wire, and onto the post. During such movement of the clip, it drags the end portion of the wire from the opening, over the surface of the mandrel, and over the surface of the post. When the clip comes to rest on the post, the wire is held firmly against the surface of the post and emerges from confined relationship at the end of the clip which is proximate to the base of the post.

For best results in making clip-type electrical connections, the apparatus used should be positioned such that the head portion of the T-shaped mandrel is precisely aligned with the post. Such alignment is easily accomplished in fully automatic machines for making clip-type connections but in the case of hand tools as disclosed, for example, in US. Patents 3,186,076 and 3,186,075, a degree of operator skill is required. The degree of skill required to align the tool with the post is not high but it has been found that inexperienced operators will sometimes improperly align the tool with the post with a resulting lower ing of the integrity of the electrical connection. The present invention is thus addressed to the problem of achieving substantially perfect alignment between the terminal post and a hand tool for making clip-type electrical connections. It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved tool for making clip-type electrical connections. A further object is to provide a tool having improved aligning means for aligning the tool with the terminal post to which a wire is to be connected. A still further object is to provide a tool having means for elastically deforming a terminal post while a clip-type electrical connection is being'made thereto in order to align the end portion of the post with the mandrel of the tool. A further object is to reduce the degree of operator skill required to make clip-type electrical connections.

These and other objects of the invention are achieved in a preferred embodiment comprising a hand tool having a A recess is provided in each of the adjacent edges of these flanges to define an opening having a cross section sub- 3,249,993 Patented May 10, 1966 Ice stantially conforming to the cross section of the post. This recess is in alignment with the head portion of the T-shaped mandrel. In use, when the operator positions the tool mandrel against the end of the post he must move the post relatively through the opening so that the plates grip the post at a location in front of the end of the mandrel. If the operator should rotate the tool inadvertently or should otherwise fail to hold it in perfect alignment with the post, the plates, by virtue of their grip on the post, will twist the end portion of the post relative to the base portion and hold the end portion in substantially perfect alignment with the head of the mandrel. The tool in accordance with the invention thus compensates for, and corrects, operator errors when clip-type electrical connections are being made.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a typical clip-type electrical connection between a wire and a terminal post;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the end portion of a tool in accordance with the invention for making clip-type electrical connections;

FIGURE 3 is a side view, partially in section, of the tool of FIGURE 2 showing the relative positions of the parts at the beginning of an operating cycle;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view showing the relationship of the terminal post to the end portion of the tool at an intermediate stage of the operating cycle and illustrating the manner in which the tool compensates for operator error;

FIGURE 5 is a view taken along the lines 55 of FIGURE 4.

Since the present invention is directed specifically to novel structure for tools for making clip-type electrical connections which novel structure is contained on the end portion of the tool, only the end portion of such a tool is shown in the drawings. Reference is made to US. Patents 3,816,075, 3,816,076, and 3,189,983 for a complete de-' scription of all of the structural features in the drawings.

Clip-type electrical connections between a terminal post 2 and the stripped end 6 of a wire 4 are made by a means of a terminal clip 8 having a web portion and having sidewalls 10 extending from the sides of the web. These sidewalls are reversely curled as shown at 12 and the clip is dimensioned such that it can be moved telescopically onto the post in a manner such that the end of the wire will be firmly held between the web and the surface of the post. Advantageously, a pair of struck-up flaps 14 are provided at one end of the clip to form an insulation support and strain relief device for the emergent conductor 4.

A tool in accordance with the invention has a generally triangular mandrel block 16 secured by suitable fasteners 17 between a pair of side plates 18, 20. Additional spacer blocks (not specifically shown) may be provided on the sides of the mandrel if desired, as shown in the prior art patents referred to above, to properly position the mandrel between the side plates. A guide block 22 is mounted between the side plates 18, 20 above the upper side of the mandrel and functions to guide the clip pusher 46 along its path of reciprocation over the mandrel Z6, 28. The mandrel comprises a rib portion 26 and a head 28 and hasa generally T-shaped cross sect-ion, the width of the head being slightly less than the distance between the opposed sidewalls 10 of the clip. An opening 30 extends downwardly, as viewed in the drawing, through the mandrel head for reception ofthe end portion of the wire 4. Forwardly (leftwardly in FIGURE 3) of this opening, the rib portion 32 of the mandrel extends to the end of the mandrel block while the head portion 34 is somewhat shorter than the rib to define a shoulder 36 against which the end of the terminal post is positioned when a connection is being made. The upper surface of the mandrel head portion 34 is provided with a groove 38 sloping of the tool shown upwardly and leftwardly from the opening 30. This groove provides a channel through which the conducting core 6 of the wire is dragged when the clip moves over the mandrel. The insulation of the end of the wire is severed by the edges 39 in each side of the groove. Details of the manner in which insulation is stripped from the wire end are discussed more fully in application Serial No. 171,074.

In order to guide the end portion of the wire 4 into the opening 30, an open-sided funnel 40 is provided in alignment with the opening. This funnel is integral with an arm 42 having an enlarged end 44 which is secured by fasteners to the previously identified guide block 22.

A channel-shaped clip pusher 46 is reciprocated by any suitable means, such as a pneumatic piston-cylinder, and is movable leftwardly from the position shown in FIG- URE 3 over a transfer slide 47, over the mandrel and for a substantial distance beyond the end of the mandrel. The transfer slide 47 is provided with a T-shaped projection 49 on its upper end and functions to transfer a single clip from a loading station (not shown) to the position shown in FIGURE 3 in which the clip is in alignment With the mandrel, the arrangement being such that upon leftward movement of the clip pusher, this clip is moved leftwardly in FIGURE 3. The structure of this transfer mechanism is shown in application Serial No. 250,300, now Patent No. 3,189,983 granted January 9, 1963. The forward end of the clip pusher is suit-ably recessed as shown at 48 (FIGURE 4) and conforms to the external dimensions of the clip so that the clip is substantially surrounded and supported duringits movement from'the position of FIGURE 3 over the mandrel and onto the post.

A pair of plates 50, 52 are mounted on each side of the mandrel block by means of the fasteners 17 and have extensions 54 which are disposed in. front of the forward end of the mandrel. These extensions are inwardly bent as shown at, the inwardly bent portions being directed generally towards, and intersecting, the path of reciprocation of the clip pusher. These plates, being relatively thin, can be deflected outwardly when the clip pusher moves past them as will be explained more fully below. The adjacent parallel edges 60 of the plate portions 56 are provided with opposed recesses 58 which define an opening conforming to the cross section of the terminal post 2. When the tool is positioned against the end of the post, the post must be inserted relatively through this opening. The plate portions 56 thus grip the post at a location. in front of the mandrel as best shown in FIG- URE 4.

It should be mentioned that FIGURE 4 assumes that the tool is of the split-cycle type as described more fully in US. Patent 3,186,075. In tools of this type, the clip pusher is not moved leftwardly from the position of FIG- URE 3 through its entire stroke in a single cycle but is rather moved first to a position in which its end is slightly beyond the shoulder 36 of the mandrel. plished, as explained in the above-identified patent, by a suitable stroke-arresting mechanism. During the second portion of the operating cycle, the operator again squeezes the tool trigger to drive the clip pusher through the remaining portion of its stroke. The advantage of this splitcycle mode of operation is that the operator can hold the tool in any convenient position or orientation while he is positioning the wire in the opening 30 and while the first portion of the stroke is carried out. At the end of this first stroke portion, the wire will have been dragged over the end portion 38 of the mandrel and-the clip will extend slightly beyond the shoulder 36 of the mandrel. The overhanging clip functions as a guide means for locating the end of the post against the shoulder 36 and the operator, after pushing the tool against the post (FIGURE 4), "initiates the second portion of the cycle to complete the electrical connection.

If the operator ppsitions the head portion of the tool This is accomdanger to the clip during its movement leftwardly from 4 in precise alignment with the post, he will obtain an optimum electrical connection. If, however, he should rotate the tool slightly relative to the post or tilt it relative to the axis of the post, the clip may be slightly damaged during its movement onto the post and the electrical connection will be less than optimum. FIGURE 4 assumes that the operator has completed the first portion of the split cycle of the operation and 'has positioned the tool against the end of the post but has been careless in aligning the tool in that the mandrel head portion 34 is in a different rotational orientation than the base portion 66 of the post. Under circumstances such as these, the upper portion of the post extending between the recess 56 and the shoulder 36 will be torsionally stressed and the post will be slightly twisted as shown at 64. Such twisting of.

the post is achieved by virtue of the fact thatthe post is gripped at 70 by the sides of the recess 58, and at 72 by the inner surfaces of the clip 10. It will thus be seen that the upper surface of the post is in perfect alignment with the head portion of the mandrel and that the second part of the split cycle can be successfully carried out with no the position of FIGURE 4. The slight twist 64 in the post will not interfere with the clip during its movement thereover since it will merely follow the contours of the surface of the post. The portions 56 are cammed outwardly immediately prior to movement of the clip past the recess 58 by the leading end of the clip pusher. The plates themselves are resistant to torsional deformation since they are clamped against the sides of the mandrel block.

While the invention as explained above assumes that the operator rotated the tool slightly and failed to achieve perfect alignment between the post and the mandrel because of such rotation, the invention also corrects other operator errors. For example, if the operator should tilt the tool slightly so that the axis of the mandrel head would extend obliquely of the axis of the post, the gripping fingers 56 would, in cooperation with the clip on the man drel, deflect the post in a manner such that its upper end would again be in alignment with the mandrel.

The extensions 54 of the plates are advantageously provided with notches 62 above the recess 58. These notches permit the operator to dress the wire either rightwardly or leftwardly relative to the tool axis when he is connecting it to a post 2. At the time the operator inserts the wire end into the opening 30, he would lead an adjacent portion of the wire through one or the other of these notches 62 depending upon which way he wishes to dress the wire in the final connection.

Changes in construction will occur to those skilled in the art and various apparently difierent modifications and embodiments may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The matter set forth in the foregoing description and accompanying drawings is offered by way of illustration only. The actual scope of the invention is intended to be defined in the following claims when viewed in their proper perspective against the prior art.

I claim:

1. In a device for making clip-type electrical connections between a wire and a terminal post and comprising, a mandrel, and means for moving a terminal clip along a predetermined path extending over, and beyond one end -of, said mandrel, the improvement'comprising, a pair of plates disposed on each side of said mandrel, said plates having projecting portions extending beyond said one end of said mandrel on each side of said path, end portions of said plates being bent inwardly towards each other, recesses in the adjacent edges of said end portions defining an opening for said post, said plates being resiliently deformable to permit passage of a clip but being resistant to torsional deformation whereby said plates hold said post in alignment 'with said mandrel.

2. In a device for making clip-type electrical connections between a wire and a terminal post and comprising,

a mandrel, and means for moving a terminal clip along a predetermined path extending over, and beyond one end of, said mandrel, the improvement comprising, aligning means disposed downstream, relative to said predetermined path, from said one end of said mandrel, said aligning means being mounted on, and extending from, said device and comprising a pair of plates extending obliquely towards said path, said plates having parallel adjacent edges intersecting, and extending normally of, said path, recesses in said edges conforming to the cross section of said post, said post being positionable in said recesses with its axis extending in said path, said aligning means being effective to elastically deform said post and to align end portions of said post with said mandrel if said device is misaligned with said post during use.

3. In a device for making clip-type electrical connections between a wire and a terminal post and comprising, a mandrel, and means for moving a terminal clip along a predetermined path extending over, and beyond one end of, said mandrel, the improvement comprising, a pair of plates disposed on each side of said mandrel, said plates having end portions projecting beyond said one end of said mandrel on each side of said path, end portions of said plates being bent inwardly toward each other, recesses in the adjacent edges of said end portions defining an opening for said post, and notches in said plates adjacent to said end portions, said plates functioning to hold said post in alignment with said mandrel when said post is inserted relatively through said opening, and said notches functioning to position said wire on either side of said path to dress saidwire to one side or the other in a completed clip-type connection.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,152,390 10/ 1964 Floyd 29-203 3,186,075 6/ 1965 Vickery 29--203 3,189,983 6/1965 Floyd 29-203 20 WHITMORE A. WILTZ, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS H. EAGER, Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR MAKING CLIP-TYPE ELECTRICAL CONNECTIONS BETWEEN A WIRE AND A TERMINAL POST AND COMPRISING, A MANDREL, AND MEANS FOR MOVING A TERMINAL CLIP ALONG A PREDETERMINED PATH EXTENDING OVER, AND BEYOND ONE END OF, SAID MANDREL, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING, A PAIR OF PLATES DISPOSED ON EACH SIDE OF SAID MANDREL, SAID PLATES HAVING PROJECTING PORTIONS EXTENDING BEYOND SAID ONE END OF SAID MANDREL ON EACH ONE OF SAID PATH, END PORTIONS OF SAID PLATES BEING BENT INWARDLY TOWARDS EACH OTHER, RECESSES IN THE ADJACENT EDGES OF SAID END PORTIONS DEFINING AN OPENING FOR SAID POST, SAID PLATES BEING RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE TO PERMIT PASSAGE OF A CLIP BUT BEING RESISTANT TO TORSIONAL DEFORMATION WHEREBY SAID PLATES HOLD SAID POST IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID MANDREL. 